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John R. splashes across the Santa
Clara River during the Viewfinders'
Grand Prix, one of the many events that
are run through the hills and sand-
washes at Indian Dunes.

Where half of L.A.'s riders thrash their dirt bikes By the Staff of DIRT BIKE

"Welcome to the Olllld Reserva- No doubt the biggest attractions course are a series of three high
tion," booms announcer John Grout's at the Dunes are the two motocross banked switchbacks, and a long, top
voice out of every speaker in the tracks. Both are laid out on soil that, gear straight that is interrupted by
place, "Indeeyun Dunes motocross!" if kept damp, is perfect for traction three ( one downhill, two uphill)
Every Sunday of the year, and most and berm-building. jumps. Even on dusty days, the
Saturdays, you can find an ACE switchbacks are 100-percent traction
and/ or AME-promoted motocross at THE INTERNATIONAL COURSE near the berms, and their width al-
the Dunes; as well as a zillion ( well, This is perhaps one of the most lows up to four motorcycles side by
maybe only a million) dirt riders photographed motocross tracks in side at any one time; A-1 crash and
thrashing the hills and sandwash to the universe. The first turn alone has burn potential. The longest straight
powder. Indian Dunes' popularity is appeared on the cover of DIRT passes in front of a grassy knoll
due in no small part to its location, BIKE twice ( Feb. '72 and Mar. '73), usually filled with well-lubricated
only about 20 miles north of L.A.'s and many of the photos in our tests spectators, and terminates in a long-
populous San Fernando Valley. are taken of riders crossed up in its radius right-hand sweeper. Watch-
Around these parts, 20 miles is con- broad corners. It was designated as ing Brad Lackey negotiate this turn
sidered a brief jaunt, so riders can the International course after a 1970 is unearthly.
get in a few laps after work or in the Inter-AMA race ( the one in which Returning toward the start hill
middle of a swing shift. Tom Rapp almost trounced all the from the long straight, it is neces-
The 600-acre park lies in the mid- furriners), and has kept the name sary to go over the famous "Dead
dle of a 44,000-acre parcel, mostly since. Tree Jump," so named because of
filled with citrus groves and Magic Two very distinctive parts of the the grot~squely shaped stump that
Mountain amusement park. As de-
sirable dirt riding real estate, the
Dunes is unparalleled. An all-year
river (the Santa Clara) provides mud,
quicksand and running water, and a
natural barrier between the moun-
tains on the south end of the park and
the wide whoopdie-strewn sandwash.
Several small canyons yield access
to the hillclimbing trails, which
through sheer over-use are often
filled with ruts and blinding caliche
dust. But no one ever told you that
climbing hills was easy. The view
from the top is mind-tweaking.
Indian Dunes on a weekend after-
noon is like no other place on earth.
Bikes of all sizes, shapes and de-
grees of funkiness carom through the
trails in all directions, occasionally
disappearing in a cloud of dust. And
the noise will drive you crazy, for
the Dunes' management has not yet
seen fit to institute a mandatory
silencer rule. At times, the din in
the pits is unbearable. DIRT BIKE
thinks that the patrons of Indian
Dunes are entitled to a bit more
quiet for their $3 entry fee.
JUNE 1973 77